Booked for Route to December

It was close to midnight yesterday, November 11, 2011 when I received an SMS from my good friend Dinah confirming that they already booked a ticket for my wedding next year. Along with her is husband Marci and son Zooey. She also confirmed that Dianne and Omar already booked their tickets including Juvy who will be flying in without a date(?).

I was so delighted upon reading the news, my first reply however was to check if booking was for Dec 8 2012 and not next month. Funny, but what I thought was an event too soon for me to go frantic about, is just around the corner, and I am so excited that I get to share this very important day of my life with them, as always.

Today, I was exchanging messages with Dinah on tips and witts about the wedding preparations and yes the motif will be brown and orange with shades of purple and peach combined. I am excited abut the idea of peach roses accentuating the isle towards the church altar and white lanterns hanging from trees at the reception. Funny, but I cant help but imagining how the set would look like and how I will be surrounded by the people closest to my heart.

Honestly, my wedding will be a simple event, in a modest venue at a cost we can afford. But it will be made grand by the people who will be there to share the moment and happiness with us.

Thank you Dinah, Marci, Zooey, Dianne and Omar. See you in December.

Ye meets the Lajara family

Although we've been married for almost 6 years now and my family has known Ye even before we settled down, my husband has not really been formally introduced to my brothers, cousins and friends in Tacloban as my better half. It was one of the things I was so excited about when we went for a 3-day vacation at my hometown last October 30.

Finally, Ye will meet the rest of my family and my best friends and hopefully know more about me, how I was brought up and how people at my place regard and think of me. I want him to experience the genuine hospitality of the Lajara Family and without a doubt it was an experience we both will never forget.

When we arrived at our house Papa prepared a sumptuous dinner we all couldn't resist. He cooked his famous ginataang manok in malungay leaves and papaya, inihaw na yellow fin wrapped in banana leaves and adobong eel with osyter sauce. Authentic dishes cooked just the way I like it.

My best friends organized a party in time of our vacation and Ye was able to meet the rest of my high school gang including their families.

Our second day was a blast, though we traveled for several hours but it was worth the long wait because Agta Island in Biliran was indeed a paradise. Ye and the kids had a great time swimming to their hearts content even without sunblocks on. How can we possibly resist? The blue waves and sandy-coral white shore was so inviting. Lunch was superb, as we fiested over freshly caught fish grilled with garlic, tomatoes and soy sauce and oh so yummy native lechon manok.

Our last day in Tacloban was jam-packed with lots of activities from a family photoshoot, to visiting my cousins and the San Juanico Bridge, lunch at the Royal Seafood Restaurant for some authentic Chinese seafood cuisine and finally some time to roam around the downtown area of the city where I spent my formative and teen years.

It was just a 3-day vacation, yet it was the longest because we hardly had time for sleep as we wanted to enjoy more time with family and friends. Actually, in Ye's case Papa's chickens were crowing even way passed midnight that it was too noisy it was impossible for Ye to sleep. LOL. But during our second day, Ye said he didn't hear the chickens anymore because he was too drunk.

I'm sure there will be more vacations and plans to visit family in Tacloban in the future and I just can't wait for that time to come.

I love you hubby. Hope you enjoyed the craziness of my family.

Welcome to the Lajara Clan.

Meeting my Bridesmaids after a decade

Its been awhile, since I was with my bestfriends. After high school, we hardly had time together because we started getting busy for our future. 10 years after college and now finally settled with families of our own and careers that we yearned for, we reunited and celebrated our friendship. 

I came with my hubby Lorlin and my two kids Ysa and Lance. Dicy came with Omar, still very much into each other after the honeymoon. Dinah came with hubby and official photographer of the event Marjun and their very cute son Zooey. Lilay who is also based in Manila was without a date that night but looked dashing and inlove. Daldz tagged along her kids and was in very high spirits during the party, not sure if it was because of the alcohol.Garett was with hubby Aldwin and daughter. Irish was late but made it to the party with husband aswell. Bayeng was alone, I was hoping to see his better half and my college classmate Floro Katangkatang. The party was organized by those who were based in Tacloban. Despite the hectic schedule
my friends made sure the party will be a blast with a program and trick or treat gooddies for the kids. The buffet was delicious and drinks bottomless. We sang our favorite songs, played games that highlighted our crazy teen years and just enjoyed the night together just like old times.

The event also made me look forward to the planned wedding on December 8, 2012 wherein these very same ladies will be part of my entourage and will hopefully remder a very special dance for me. I am more excited than ever since I came back from Manila, I cant think of anything else but prepare for the route to December and make it a really special event for my family and friends. See you soon ladies.

Orange, brown, green, yellow and purple

Color creates an enthralling aura, thats why our favorite colors Orange, Brown, Green, Yellow and Purple will provide just that in our wedding.

Orange is a very strong color. It describes both our personality as a couple. We are strongly bonded because we've been through so many trials in our marriage.

The earth colors brown and green describes how simple and practical we are as a couple. We enjoy low key, and prefers tranquility with the company of our children. Purple to us is happiness and finding purpose and meaning to everything thats happening in our lives.

We would like to share the colors of our lives with the people closest to our hearts and may this define the events as it unfolds on our route to December.

Promise of Forever

I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give.
I promise to accept you the way you are. I fell in love with you for the qualities, abilities, and outlook on life that you have, and won't try to reshape you in a different image.
I promise to respect you as a person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own.
I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my personal world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how ... completely and forever.

Deciding to have a church wedding soon..

Today turned out to be a big surprise for me and my hubby.

We were casually talking about how blessed we are for having everything we need, a conversation that normally occurs between us when we are a bit short in the budget area and we are trying to uplift our spirits when my husband and I realized that we've been married for six years now and it's about time we have a church wedding.

I suddenly felt excited about the idea.
Of course we've always wanted to have a Church Wedding from the start but since Ysabel came early than expected then three years later we had Lance, we felt too busy to plan out a wedding.

Then I asked my husband, when do you want to have the wedding?

Let's have it December next year, that way you will have more time to go on a diet, said my husband who was grinning that time.

Well yes I was a bit pissed by what my husband said but he was just telling me the truth (ouch). Of course I want to look fantastic on my wedding for my husband and finally I have reason to work on my weight.

Finally, I was browsing thru websites for some weddings tips and excited about the idea of getting the family together for this occassion. It may still be 552 days from now but time flies fast and who knows we might just decide to have it sooner than expected.

I am so happy. I cannot explain the excitement I am feeling right now.
I know everything will go smoothly because God will lead this journey for us.